Given the large homogeneous workforce of predominately White, middle-class female K–12 educators combined with the rising population of diverse students in the United States and the disproportionate achievement gap of students of color compared to their White peers, I sought to discover how new millennial educators defined and used empathy to build their own cultural competencies as well as discover how these teachers used empathy to strengthen the teacherstudent relationships across cultural differences. Using the conceptual frameworks of Paulo Freire’s (1970) pedagogy and Wang et al.’s (2003) definition of ethno-cultural empathy, I conducted a critical narrative inquiry of five first-year teachers who did not share the racial or ethnic background of the majority of their students of color. From the participants’ stories, six major themes surfaced: (a) the role of empathy in the teacher-student relationships, (b) the struggle between empathy and sympathy, (c) their contrasting views on empathy and content, (d) the relationship between empathy and cultural competency, (e) the importance of empathy related to trauma, and (f) the personal limitations of empathy. I present a proposal for a new theoretical framework resulting from the symbiotic relationship of ethno-cultural empathy and critical pedagogy, called Critical Empathy, as well as recommendations for teacher formation institutions to prioritize an empathy formation that focuses on critical empathy development, self-awareness, administrative management, and self-care strategies.

Urban school districts are beleaguered with the high attrition rate of teachers. This results in a staff that is largely inexperienced, and a large cost to the district in training and induction programs. Mentoring programs have been linked to new teacher retention, and one particular mentoring program, Peer Assistance and Review (PAR), is widely used by districts to create a structured support system for teachers. This mixed-methods study examined key players from the School District of Philadelphia’s PAR program, regarding their successes and failures within the program. By examining the PAR program in depth, we can identify the key components participants perceive to be important to the program, and make recommendations for PAR to meet optimal success. / Educational Leadership

The goal of this study was to identify some of the key stressors novice and veteran teachers face and to determine if there are any particular steps that administrators of the school systems can take to ensure the success of all teachers. The qualitative research method was used in this study. An interview guide was developed and used during the interview process. Eighteen teachers, nine new teachers and nine veteran teachers all with general education classroom experience participated in the research. The interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim, and then analyzed to develop themes. Themes emerged regarding issues that teachers felt were the biggest stress factors that they face. They were also found in relation to the traits that participants felt to be crucial to the success of new teachers including the teacher preparation program, and types of mentoring and induction programs in place, as well as the leadership style of the principal and professional development opportunities that were offered, and their impact on stress. Themes from the study show that teaching is a very stressful occupation, and that all teachers, regardless of the number of years they have been teaching, face similar stress factors. However, steps can be taken to help relieve stress that both new and veteran teachers are facing. Some changes may need to be made in teacher preparation programs, as well as the implementation of formal mentoring and induction programs. Principals and Supervisors can also play an important role in the stress levels that teachers face through their leadership style and professional development plans.

Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar o significado do trabalho docente, em especial o dos professores iniciantes, na escola pública atual. Caracteriza-se por uma investigação teórica, complementada por dados empíricos coletados junto a professores iniciantes que atuam no Ciclo II do Ensino Fundamental da Escola Estadual José Jorge, situada no município de Osasco (SP) e também por pesquisa realizada com professores iniciantes, alunos do curso de História (Licenciatura) do Centro Universitário FIEO (UNIFIEO), que atuam em escolas públicas do município de Osasco (SP) e região. Esta pesquisa busca analisar, pelo método dialético, o trabalho docente, tomando-o como fenômeno social, historicamente determinado, defendendo mudanças na formação inicial e contínua desses trabalhadores, à luz de teorias da Educação denominadas críticas. A literatura da área consultada apóia-se principalmente em Marx, Antunes, Santos, Saviani, Freire, Mészaros, Pimenta e Libâneo. / The objective of this study is to investigate the meaning of teaching in contemporary state-maintained school. It is characterized by a theoretical investigation complemented by empirical data gathered through new schoolteachers who teach 11 to 14 years olds in public schools in Osasco (a city in São Paulo State) and nearby towns. This thesis considers the work done by teachers as a social phenomenon which is historically determined and as such it advocates changes at both teacher\'s training and in-service courses that would take on board critical education theories.

Attrition among new teachers with fewer than 5 years of experience was high in an urban high school in Texas. The high attrition rate is a problem for students, because high teacher turnover can result in teachers with low expertise. In this study, the conceptual framework used was Hord's professional learning community (PLC) model, which emphasizes trust and a utilization of a cycle of inquiry among colleagues to prepare lessons and assessments that affect student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine new high school teachers' perceptions of assimilation techniques used by their mentors in the new teacher mentor program's PLCs. Also examined were new teachers' reports of what influenced them to remain at or leave the local setting. In this qualitative, single-bound explanatory case study, purposeful sampling was used to interview 10 new teachers in Grades 10 through 12 who had been through the mentorship program. Of the 10 interviewees, 5 were still employed in the local setting and 5 had resigned. Data were analyzed inductively using open coding of emerging themes that were color coded descriptively then organized into explanatory categories. Key findings were that new teacher mentees suggested ways to improve the mentorship program such as being able to choose their mentors and rotating through various mentors throughout the school year so that new teachers can have as many information sources as possible. This study contributes to positive social change by working to increase the retention rate among new teachers, improve classroom instruction, and make PLC more influential.

This mixed method study employs a phenomenological methodology to explore the experiences of novice secondary Texas English/Language Arts (E/LA) teachers' who integrated media literacy curriculum within their content area during the 2010-2011 school year. Data relating to the phenomenon was collected through Likert-type survey items and an in-depth three-interview protocol. The key findings in this study highlight the complex relationships that affect novice secondary Texas E/LA teachers' development of curriculum and pedagogy in the context of media literacy education. Participants' backgrounds were found to influence their beliefs and attitudes related to media literacy, which in turn, influenced the way they integrated media literacy curricula. Despite a commonly held belief in the value of media literacy education and intent to integrate media literacy in the E/LA curriculum, participants' confidence in their ability to teach students media literacy skills declined over time. Data suggest that this decrease is attributable to environmental factors such as access to technology resources and the culture and climate of the schools in which the participants teach. The study also finds that participants were insufficiently prepared to teach media literacy in the E/LA classroom and that both participants' teacher preparation program and school districts bear the burden for this deficiency. The findings of this study have specific implications for current educational practice. Schools of education and school districts are appropriately positioned to provide needed, but currently deficient, support to novice E/LA teachers with regard to media literacy integration in the content area. Such support could consist of formal coursework and/or mediated discussion in professional learning communities regarding: media literacy in the standards; technology skills and integration; pedagogical content knowledge related to media literacy education; sources for media literacy self-study and independent professional development; and teaching media literacy skills in technologically under-resourced or hostile environments.

In light of the continual debate among researchers regarding new teachers’ concerns about classroom management and the need to insure that instruction results in positive student learning the focus of this qualitative case study has been to examine how five second and third year teachers planned for and thought about the management of student engagement during instruction. The main purpose of this study was to examine the professional thinking of five second and third year teachers while planning for a lesson in comparison to their actions during the lesson and later how they reflected on that plan. In addition, the teachers’ beliefs about how they learned to integrate management with instruction during planning were examined. The results of this study indicate these five teachers did intentionally think about and plan for the integration of management with instruction during their lessons. District aligned curricula were used in each of these teachers’ districts which caused them to alter the traditional planning model so they could plan for the integration of management with instruction in their lessons. In addition these teachers believed they learned to address management with instruction as a result of their first year(s) of teaching. / text

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:35:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2886.pdf: 2278999 bytes, checksum: 67238fd050f963f6c57613ddbbfb9fde (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-19 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The objective of this research is to analyze the learning of three beginner teachers during the participation in the Mentorship Program of UFSCar's Portal Teachers. This program was designed to understand and implement processes for professional develop- ment of teachers by through the online interaction between beginner teachers - up to 5 years of career - who teach in grades of elementary school and experienced and successful teachers (the mentors). The theoretical references involve the beginning of the teaching profession; the dilemmas faced by novices, professional development in teaching, with the expectation that teacher training is incessant and that there are di®erent sources of learning how to teach, to build a solid knowledge base and to assist them in their decision-making as a teacher, the career stages, speci¯cally, studies on the period of em- ployability, the di±culties and the initial learning; mentoring opportunities and support for beginners, favoring the presence and professional development and distance learning as a tool for training of mentors and beginning teachers. The research undertaken was qualitative, with descriptive and analytical speci¯city. Data were collected in the area of mentor and novice relationship at the Mentorship Program environment, organized in three case studies. The results point to many dilemmas, di±culties and anxiety present during the teaching initiation. Beginning teachers are insecure about their performance, they can not easy cope with the practice challenges and school rules required, they need to be supported by someone more experienced and successful. / O objetivo da pesquisa é analisar as aprendizagens de três professoras iniciantes durante a participacão no Programa de Mentoria do Portal dos Professores da UFSCar. Este Programa tinha como objetivo conhecer e implementar processos de desenvolvimento profissional de professores por meio da interação online entre professoras iniciantes - com até 5 anos de carreira - que lecionam nas séries iniciais do Ensino Fundamental e professoras experientes, consideradas bem sucedidas (as mentoras). As referências teóricas envolvem o início da carreira docente; os dilemas vividos pelos professores iniciantes; o desenvolvi- mento profissional na docência, na perspectiva de que a formação docente é permanente e que há diferentes fontes de aprendizagem da docência; a construção de uma base de conhecimento sólida e que auxilie o professor em suas tomadas de decisões na atividade docente; as fases da carreira, especificamente, os estudos sobre o período de inserção profissional, as dificuldades e as aprendizagens iniciais; programas de mentoria como possibilidades de apoio aos iniciantes, favorecendo a permanência e o aprimoramento profissional e a educação online como ferramenta para a formação de mentores e professores iniciantes. A pesquisa desenvolvida é de natureza qualitativa, com especificidade descritivo-analítica. Os dados foram coletados no espaço de relacionamento da mentora e sua iniciante, no ambiente do Programa de Mentoria e organizados na forma de três estudos de casos. Os resultados apontam para muitos dilemas, dificuldades e ansiedade presentes no período de iniciação µa docência. Os professores iniciantes sentem-se inseguros com sua atuação, não conseguem enfrentar com tranqüilidade os desafios que a prática e as regras escolares lhes impõem e necessitam de ser amparados, por alguém mais experiente e bem sucedido.

abstract: This mixed methods action research study describes the benefits of a Team Leadership Community of Practice group for six early career special education teachers who supervised paraeducators. Problem-posing conversations with peers were a catalyst for professional learning and leadership transformation. The theoretical framework included Experiential Learning Theory, Transformational Leadership, and Communities of Practice—combined as a tri-theory lens. Data collection instruments included individual interviews, a focus group, content logs from audio recordings, a researcher journal, and two researcher-created instruments—the Intentional Leadership Actions and Paraeducator Outcomes Survey and the Teacher Group Reflection Survey. Findings indicated that team leaders favored collaborative partnerships with paraeducators rather than supervisory roles. Given perceived communication barriers as team leaders, participants spent time preparing for conversations with paraeducators. Together, they co-constructed understandings and stretched one another as a learning Community of Practice (CoP), as defined by Wenger (1998). The CoP was a framework for Experiential Learning when team leaders gathered together to share their concrete leadership experiences, reflect, conceptualize abstract meaning, and discuss possible strategies for future experimentation. Additionally, team leaders experienced individual reflection following CoP gatherings as they considered peer suggestions, fine-tuned ideas, and planned leadership actions. As team leaders implemented new leadership ideas and experienced positive outcomes, they reported increased efficacy and desire for additional leadership opportunities in their classrooms and beyond. A trilogy of poems complements the discussion of findings. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2016

Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar o significado do trabalho docente, em especial o dos professores iniciantes, na escola pública atual. Caracteriza-se por uma investigação teórica, complementada por dados empíricos coletados junto a professores iniciantes que atuam no Ciclo II do Ensino Fundamental da Escola Estadual José Jorge, situada no município de Osasco (SP) e também por pesquisa realizada com professores iniciantes, alunos do curso de História (Licenciatura) do Centro Universitário FIEO (UNIFIEO), que atuam em escolas públicas do município de Osasco (SP) e região. Esta pesquisa busca analisar, pelo método dialético, o trabalho docente, tomando-o como fenômeno social, historicamente determinado, defendendo mudanças na formação inicial e contínua desses trabalhadores, à luz de teorias da Educação denominadas críticas. A literatura da área consultada apóia-se principalmente em Marx, Antunes, Santos, Saviani, Freire, Mészaros, Pimenta e Libâneo. / The objective of this study is to investigate the meaning of teaching in contemporary state-maintained school. It is characterized by a theoretical investigation complemented by empirical data gathered through new schoolteachers who teach 11 to 14 years olds in public schools in Osasco (a city in São Paulo State) and nearby towns. This thesis considers the work done by teachers as a social phenomenon which is historically determined and as such it advocates changes at both teacher\'s training and in-service courses that would take on board critical education theories.